John Duncan is MIA on Made in Ottawa halibut policy

[IronNoggin]

Liberal News Release:

John Duncan is MIA on Made in Ottawa halibut policy

Posted on 09. Mar, 2011 in Releases
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
While we’re confident the International Pacific Halibut Commission is doing an excellent job of ensuring the halibut fishery is sustainable, the same can’t be said for our elected representatives responsible for deciding gets to catch the fish. Fisheries minister Gail Shea’s inaction and John Duncan’s unwillingness to consult with North Island commercial
and sport fishers is leading to made in Ottawa policy that’s wrong for our communities.
When the current allocation policy was established, it seemed that (based on the information available) the needs of the recreational fishery would be met, and it seemed, also, that it could accommodate changes in the fishery over time through an ill-defined “market system”. However, it’s now clear to all – the system no longer works.
Shea’s solution is to get the recreational fishery to lease quota from the commercial sector; a non-starter for the recreational sector. This valuable component of the North Island economy deserves to be treated better. The recreational fishery has put forward at least two proposals, both of which seem fairer than making it lease allocation year after year. One is to establish a “use it or lose it” policy to slowly transfer quota from holders who don’t fish (the so-called “slipper skipper’) and the other is to remove the quota from the recreational fisher and simply allocate it a set number of fish before establishing the allowable catch for the commercial fishers.
We Liberals will accept that the allocation system is broken and will consult openly with commercial and recreational fishers to fix it. We’ll champion our valuable recreational fishery while ensuring that those who make their living on the sea are not hurt in the process. We won’t do as our current MP does and simply defer to the out-of-touch Fisheries minister.
Mike Holland
Federal Liberal Candidate for Vancouver Island North
http://mikeholland.liberal.ca/release/john-duncan-is-mia-on-made-in-ottawa-halibut-policy/..............................................


Let's hope this isn't simply a pre-election ploy. He does offer an alternative to Duncan worth investigating...


Cheers,
Nog

 

[IronNoggin]

John Cummins, Stockwell Day and Chuck Strahl have all just announced they are not running in another election. No surprise regarding Duncan, he would have been ousted regardless methinks. Wonder what kind of spin the next Conservative candidate for that riding will lay on us now...

Cheers,
Nog

 

[juandesooka]

This is very good news ... making this an election issue will bring more publicity than any advertising campaign could. The political capital is huge...classic david and goliath dispute, and voters identify with the little guys getting screwed by the system.

Good on this liberal north island guy for jumping on this issue ... he will no doubt have fun grinding Duncan on it. Rather than looking out for the average Canadian, this gov't has focused on protecting Jimmy P and his buddies' empire. Which one sounds better at a hostile candidates meeting?

 

[Cuba Libre]

We Liberals will accept that the allocation system is broken and will consult openly with commercial and recreational fishers to fix it

Now just lets think which party that started this mess............Oh! It was the Liberals. And a candidate that still needs to get elected is setting fisheries policy? Sorry-- I want the "word" from someone a LOT higher in the pecking order before I will believe a pre-election promise. btw-- notice how silent the Liberals have been on 88/12 ?????

 

[Rockfish]

Take a look at the last election results. It was a close race but the Liberal candidate scored a pitiful 4.2%. I do appreciate that the current Liberal candidate Mike Holland accepts that the allocation system is broken and will work to fix it. However, unless the NDP nominates Bozo the Clown as their candidate, this will be another close fight between the Conservatives and the NDP.

Note the spoiler roll of the Green Party which far too often ensures that the least environmentally concerned party is elected. I have often wondered if the right wing parties secretly support them.

Given how close the last race was and the current issues with Duncan; and even though he gets a boost from being a cabinet minister, I believe this is one of the most vulnerable Conservative ridings, especially if Shea does not resolve the unfair halibut allocation before we go to the polls.

2008 Federal Election Results for Vancouver Island North

PARTY CANDIDATE VOTES VOTE SHARE (%)

Con John Duncan 26166 - 45.78

NDP Catherine Bell 23681 - 41.43

GRN Philip Stone 4563 - 7.98

LIB Geoff Fleischer 2391 - 4.18

IND Jason Draper 361 - .63

 

[Hindsight]

we need to find out what the party line will be on this issue no matter what party. Send e-mails to the parties to make it an issue. I am still waiting to find out from Martin. The more letters means more votes for them if the correct response is given. we should post the letters on this thread. I do know he is not running.

 

[Rockfish]

we need to find out what the party line will be on this issue no matter what party. Send e-mails to the parties to make it an issue. I am still waiting to find out from Martin. The more letters means more votes for them if the correct response is given. we should post the letters on this thread. I do know he is not running.

I agree, we should insist that all BC sitting MP’s and candidates for the next Federal election provide clear positions on this issue. Not the usual weasel speak designed to try and keep all voters happy.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/map/2008/#10

This interactive map will show you how the last federal election broke out across Canada. It is very interesting to check all the coastal riding for trends and narrow margins of victory. In my view the top two who worked against the interest of the BC Economy and Anglers related to halibut allocation and the privatization of our fisheries were John Weston (West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast) and Randy Kamp (Pit Meadows-Maple ‘Ridge-Mission) leading to Minister Shae’s recent decision to let another year go by without resolving it. Both of them have important rolls related to the management of our fisheries.

Unfortunately they sit in strongly conservative ridings and represent the interests of some very powerful people. On the plus side there are a number of ridings that were won by very few votes and take a look at Gail Shae’s riding of Egmont PEI where our beloved Fisheries Minister won by only 55 votes.

I do not understand why they will not just fix the allocation.